It's finally the moment to launch a fresh video editing project.
It's finally the moment to launch a fresh video editing project.
Hey everyone, after a decade of use, it's clear it's time for a refresh (driven by necessity—slower performance and more demanding 4K multicam tasks, plus funds are now available). The system I’ve had for ten years (with a few extra drives and a switch from a GTX970 to a 3070 a couple of years ago) was:
Asus Z97 Pro
Noctua NHD15
i7-4790K stock
32Gb DDR2 RAM (4x16)
Seasonic FocusPlus 800W
It has performed exceptionally well, never missing a beat and running nonstop (thanks to a solid UPS). It handles 4K video editing fine (Premiere, AFX, Photoshop) and supports gaming—mainly warfare sims and BG3, which run adequately.
Now it’s time to upgrade. Although it feels like a tough moment for Intel, I’d rather stick with Intel (H264/5 editing qsync, etc.) and ASUS (this board has been great, the RAID and UEFI setup is solid, plus Fanxpert works well). I’ll also keep the Noctua NHD15 since it’s been reliable too.
I considered some ASRock models, but the UEFI/RAID configuration doesn’t look as appealing to me. I’m used to ASUS delivering consistent reliability.
I was thinking about a mix of ASRock options, though the setup feels less ideal compared to what I’ve experienced with ASUS.
But now I’m leaning toward an ASUS ROG Z890 with Ultra 7 265K (cheaper than ProArt with similar specs). It would be 128Gb Kingston Fury DDR5—easily compatible with four 32GB sticks and a RAID0 array. Plus, the new Seasonic Prime TX850.
I’m stuck on the SATA side because I use all six ports (four drives plus an 8TB RAID0 storage) along with an M2. The Z890 only has four SATA ports but plenty of M2 slots, so maybe I should upgrade to more M2 devices instead of sticking with older tech.
I’d appreciate any insights or discussions about the Z790 or Z890, as both have been under consideration for a few weeks now without a clear decision.
All in mind, I’m planning to go back to the original Corsair Air 540—its spacious case is nice, and I’ll install a new USB 3.0 adapter at the front to connect the motherboard properly.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
Just an FYI, Asus is no longer the brand it used to be until the pandemic happened and everything in their product portfolio has been...sub par, save for some innovations. 4 sticks of ram will add undue stress on the Integrated Memory Controller(IMC) and could lead to instability issues if you go with high frequency ram kits. The sweet spot for Intel's 12th Gen onwards with DDR5 was/is 6000MHz or slightly higher in 2x ram kit config. If you want to go with higher capacity sticks of ram, use the memory QVL or drop down the frequency, like DDR5-5600MHz. You might want to use this form; https://noctua.at/en/intel-lga1700-mount...order-form to get a mounting kit for your cooler. Seasonic FocusPlus 800W How old is the PSU? With the advent of NVME SSD's you don't need to have a RAID0 setup. RAID1, perhaps but RAID0 would've been a must a decade ago. You would need to mention your budget, your preferred site for purchase and your location. Essentially everything asked of in this thread; *How to Ask for New Build or Upgrade Advice* How to Ask for New Build or Upgrade Advice First off, respect where respect is due - this is an adaptation of the Animal's *How To Ask For New Build Advice* Sticky. I created this because there's a lot of posts nowadays asking for upgrade advice both on here and on the CPU forums, and I feel... forums. and the community can chime in with worthwhile suggestions.
Man, I've made the changes according to your guide, thanks a lot.
PSU is the original version, ten years old.
RAID0 is mainly about cost — 2 x 2TB Barracuda is cheaper than a 4TB NVMe. Still, I might keep the 2xHDD RAID just for nostalgia (other than price).
Disappointed to hear about Asus, but that's what most agree on. It's tough giving up after ten years of reliability with my Z97.
🙁
It's about time to upgrade to a new PSU. It seems I've had some good luck, but both my AMD video and photo editing systems (3800X from 2019, 7950X in 2022) are still functioning well on Asus boards. When I need additional SATA connections, I purchase affordable second-hand LSI SAS HBA controller cards from eBay. These support a range of SATA drives—4, 8, 12, 16, or even 20 depending on the model. You'll require a spare PCIe x8 port, though I use a PCIe x16 slot with only four lanes. The card in question can handle eight drives through two SFF-8087 ports. These cards are built for servers with adequate cooling, so I've added a 40mm fan to the heatsink.
I also found a listing on ServetheHome discussing HBA compatibility and options. Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) cards work just as well with SATA drives. If you need independent drive support, consider using a Host Bus Adapter card with IT firmware. For RAID functionality, opt for an HBA with IR (RAID) firmware only if you require hardware RAID control. You'll also need several SFF-8087 to 4 x SATA "Forward Breakout" cables. Prices typically range from $40 to $50 for a used SAS HBA card and $15 to $20 per set of four drives. I tend to choose used genuine LSI server components over new Chinese clones.
My rig currently holds three 1TB M.2 NVMe drives: one for Windows 10 and Adobe software, another for Adobe Premiere/Photoshop scratch files, and a third for video work-in-progress. Bulk storage in my 7950X includes five hard disks plus a BD-R drive (my Asus motherboard has six SATA slots and three M.2). Backups are stored on TrueNAS Core RAID-Z2 servers and LTO tapes. No RAID is used in the editing systems.
I have an NH-D15 on my 7950X, and CPU temperatures stay under 180W (no PBO detected). It's possible a more aggressive air cooling could push a 14900K to 230W. Please be mindful as @Lutfij points out—with four DIMMs you might need to stick to stock JEDEC 4800MT/s or lower for stability. I'm currently running two 32GB Kingston Fury drives (total 64GB) at 4800MT/s on my 7950X for better stability. For safety, invest in a single matched DIMM kit rather than two mismatched ones, even if they share the same part number. The memory chips could differ slightly in speed characteristics. Avoid mixing kits.
You'll notice improved performance with faster XMP profiles on Intel processors compared to AMD in Premiere Pro.
I recommend checking Puget Systems' workstation builds for inspiration: https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/a...-o...23-update/
Although we're not based in the USA, reviewing their solutions can be helpful:
https://www.pugetsystems.com/solutions/v...miere-pro/
For high-speed 4K video rendering, the fastest NVidia GPU you can afford is essential. I recently upgraded from an RTX 3060 12GB to an RTX 4070 12GB, but an RTX 4090 or 5090 would offer even better performance.
Thanks for the thorough details, mate. Appreciate it. I was planning to switch from DDR3 1300 to DDR5 4800—though honestly, jumping to DDR5 would be a huge leap. I’m curious about your thoughts on the chip itself. Moving from my 4950 to a 12 or even 13/14 with their problems sounds like a real challenge, but I’m sure it’ll be worth it! Your drive setup is similar to mine (just a bit more storage space), and I noticed you have a PCIe SATA card for your DVD burner. That might make it a more affordable choice compared to buying a multi-SATA motherboard instead of just 4 with lots of M2 slots. Hope your ASUS is still running smoothly—definitely a tough situation!
Just to confirm, you require a PC to swap in your photo/video editing setup and the previous gaming PC, or would you prefer to replace just the gaming PC? If it’s about gaming, here’s what I recommend:
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU: Intel Core i5-14600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor
($389.00 @ Centre Com)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM
($59.00 @ Scorptec)
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING Z790-PLUS WIFI ATX LGA1700
($354.98 @ Amazon Australia)
Memory: Patriot Viper Venom 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-7000 CL32
($154.99 @ Amazon Australia)
Storage: Crucial T500 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME
($208.00 @ Centre Com)
Video Card: Asus TUF GAMING GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB
($1509.99)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P400A Digital ATX Mid Tower
($129.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: Corsair RM850x SHIFT 850 W 80+ Gold Certified
($169.00 @ Centre Com)
Total: $2973.96
Includes shipping, taxes, and any available discounts
Generated by PCPartPicker
2025-01-22 04:12 AEDT+1100
I really enjoy the Liver mixer board from AsRock even more than the Riptide. The case and memory choices were well thought out—I probably forgot to reuse the old case, which gives an extra 32GB of RAM. I also favor the Corsair 850 shift PSU, though I’m not sure it works with the older Corsair Carbide board like I understand it does with the Phanteks P400A Digital.